Press Release: Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) challenged by John Tanton to Debate over 'Lies'

SPLC Law Center Challenged to Debate over 'Lies'

February 3, 2009

"I challenge the smear merchants of the Southern Poverty Law Center and vocal open borders lobby proponents to a debate at the National Press Club on a mutually convenient date," the founding chairman of the Federation of American Immigration Reform (FAIR) John Tanton said today.

Tanton, former editor and current publisher of the Petoskey, Michigan-based The Social Contract magazine, responds to today's telephone press conference and report issued by the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The SPLC is releasing a report that, in its own words, "examines the racist roots of the three organizations most responsible for blocking comprehensive immigration reform." It cites FAIR, the Center for Immigration Studies and NumbersUSA.

"This is a textbook example of special interest groups, driven by the need to scare donors into shelling out more money, resorting to repeated, vicious smears and ad hominem attacks. They seek to stifle legitimate debate over a pressing public policy issue: mass immigration," Tanton says. "Smear merchant Morris Dees of the SPLC and longtime open borders advocate Frank Sharry of America's Voice hate the First Amendment. They want to shut up or shut down any group that supports border security and enforcement of our nation's immigration laws," Tanton adds.

Tanton challenges three SPLC spokespeople to a National Press Club debate with himself and two other spokespeople who would argue against the open borders lobby. "One portion of the debate forum would be to address today's SPLC pack of lies," Tanton says, "and the other portion would be a debate over so-called comprehensive immigration reform."

"I refer journalists and any other interested parties to visit my website www.JohnTanton.org to read further information about my activities and organizations. Simply click the button 'Answering my critics,'" Tanton said. For interviews, contact John Tanton at The Social Contract.